Key-socket.



PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

' HUBBELL.

' KEY SOCKET.

' APPLIGATIONVIILED mum, 1901.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY plate in side elevation.

safe in use and. practically impossible to get shell being in section; Fig. 2 an elevation of the hole closely.

.thewires (not shown) passes through this UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KEY-SOCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 5. 1907. Serial No. 360,785-

No. 878,633. Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

through which the other wire (not shown) passes to binding screw 16. The lower end of plate 22 is curved inward,

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HARVEY HUBBELL, a l citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of. Fairfield, State of 4 a recess 25 in the socket and Connecticut, have invented-a new and use- I ful Key-Socket, of which thefollowing is a specification."

This invention has for its object .to produce a single-pole key socket which shall be inexpensive to" make, perfectly certain and ies in a recess 26 inthe bottom of the insulatingblock. A screw 27 passing through the' insulating I block engages this plate. The inner end of l plate 22 lies at the center of the underside of l the insulating block and forms one of the contacts with a lamp base (not shown). The upper end of socket 12 is provided with .out of repair. With these ends in. view I I an inwardly-turned flange 28 which lies in have devised the novel keysocketwhich I l recess 26 and is secured to the insulating will now describe,]referring to the a'ccomblock by screws 29 and 30, which pass panying drawing forming a part of this through the block. This flange provides the specification and using reference characters other contact with a lamp base (not shown). to indicate the several parts. I 31 denotes a recess in the insulating block Figure l is an elevation of the socket, the 1 directly opposite to recess 19.

of this recess are four inclines 32 nate inabrupt shoulders 33. p

34 denotes the contact plate whichis )rovided with a central hole 35 through which the shaft passes freely, with two contact which termithe socket detached,'from a point of view directly opposite-"tofthat in-Fig. 1; Fig. .3 a longitudinal section on the line 33 in Fig. 2,"l'o'oking in thefdirection of the arrows; Fig. 4 an inverted plan view corresponding with Fig. 2; Fig. ing with Fig. 1, the contact plate and oper* ating plate being removed and the shaft in cess, and with two-stops 37 which may be section; and Fig. -6,is a detail View showing I formed by punching out curved tongues of the end of the shaft or key,withthe contact 1 metal from the plate, leaving one end of each plate, contact springs and the operating the free end downward. The shoulders are engaged by the ends of the contact springs and act to prevent the contact plate from being turned backward. The end of the 1!) denotes the shell, 11 the insulating block, 12 the socket proper which receives 1 the base of a lamp and 13 the shaft or key which passes through theinsulating block and i shaft is made angular, as, at 38, to receive a is provided with an insulating finger-piece 14 corresponding opening in an operating date shown as provided with a shank 15. I 39 which is carriedthereby, the plate eing 16 and 17 denote the binding screws. l secured in placeupon the shaft by a pin 40 Binding screw 16 passes through a plate 1-8 or in any suitable manner. The operating and engages the insulating block, a recess 19 plate is )IOVltlGLl-Wiill two downwardly exbeing provided in the insulating block for the tending l ugs 41 which are adapted to engage plate and'the plate being secured to the insulating block by the screw. The shaft passes'through a hole 28 in plate 18, fitting The current passes from the plate to the shaft which may or may not plate, leaving one end he bushed in thehole. tached and bending the 21 denotes a spring surrounding the shaft and bearing against plate 18 and against the inner end of the shank of'the finger piete Binding screw 17 passes through a plate 22 lying in a groove 23 in the insulating block I and secures said plate to the block. One of l two stops 37 on the contactplate and are re- }tained in contact therewith by spring 21. These lugs may be formed by cutting out i circular tongues of metal from the operating free end downward. :42 denotes a plate in the circuit which covers one of the inclines 32 and provided withv an inwardly-turned end 43 which lies .in contact with the inwardly-turned flange 28 of socket 12 and is retained in place by screw '30 which passesdhrough it. The two lugs 41 and the two stops 3? constitute engaging members block co-act to advance the contact groove to the binding screw. A groove 21 g is also provided in the insulating springs when springs 36 which are formed from the metal 5, a detall elevatlon COTrGSPO d- {of the plate and are downwardly turned to engage the inclines atthe bottomofthe retongue attached to the plate and springing of each tongue at which can only asses through At the base the shaft is in one of two diametrically oposite positions. In other words, the said ugs and stops are although the .shaft can be rotated backward without imparting movement to the contact plate, forward rotation of the shaft will cause engagement with the contact plate only light or extinguish a lamp.

the contact springs is in engagement with plate 42, the circuit will be closed and the amp lighted, the other contact spring being' I the one covered by the plate.

manner that a gas. key does, whether the cur- 'rent is on or off.

The operation is asfollows: Starting for convenience withbinding screw 17, the cur;

rent passes through plate 22 to the'lamp, thence back through flange 2-8, plate 4.2, the

contact springs and contact plate to the shaft and from the'shaft through plate 18 tobinding screw 16. As there are two contact springs, one plate inthe circuit engaged by. said springs and four inclines engaged by said s rings, including the one covered by the p ate, it follows that each quarter turn of the shaft or key will close or open the circuit and When either of in engagement with the incline opposite to A quarter turn of the shaft will carry the contact springs past shoulders 33 and they-will drop down upon the inclines intermediate the inclines previously engaged, thus breaking the,

, circuit and extinguis mg the lamp. Another quarter turn of the shaft will place .the conto, it bein tact spring which was previously out of'engagement with plate 42 in engagement with said plate and will again close the circuit and light the lamp. These movements maybe continued indefinitely, each quarterrotationforward of the shaft acting to alternately light and extinguish the lamp. The contact p ate'is carried forward through'the engagement of lugs 41 on the operating late-with stops 37 on the contact plate. en the.

shaft is turned backward, however, lugs 41 thereon will ride. backward over the contact plate but without imparting movement thereshaft bac ward without limit. Spring '21 acts to retain the lugs in close engagement with thecontact plate and'as soon as the shaft is turned forward the lugs will again engage the stops and carry the contact plat'e forward. a 1

Having thus described my invention I claim:

relatively arranged so that,

harmless to the-switch to turn the said inclines,

ing one of said inc 1. A key socket comprising an insulating block having a recess with inclines at rts base,a plate-in the circuit covering one of a shaft and a contact plate carried forward tact springs engaging opposite inclines, so

bythe shaft and having con-.

that each quarter turn of the shaft willalternately open and close the circuit, the connection between the shaft andcontact plate having operative engaging-means which coact'to permit advance of'the contact plate only when the shaft is in one of two-diametrically opposite positions relatively to said plate, H i

2. A'key socket comprising an insulating blockhaving a recess with a plurality .of inclines at its base, a late in the circuit cover- I ines, a shaft, a contact plate throughiwhich' the shaft passes'and which is providedwith two stops and two:

contact. springs engaging opposite inclines and anoperatingplate carried by the. shaft the stops and carryin the contact plate when the shaft is.

and having two lugs engaging turned orward, said lugs passing backward over the contact plate -when the shaft is turned backward.

3. A key socket comprising an insulating block having arecess with four inclines atit's.

base, a plate in the circuit covering one of said inclines, a shaft," a contact plate through'which the shaft passes and which is provided with two contact springs engaging opposite 1nclines and with two -stops,'an operatmg.

plate' having two lugs engaging the stops when the shaft is turned forward and moving a backward over the contact plate and "a spring acting to retain the operating plate I in engagement with the contact plate and the contact springs in engagement with the inclines.

' 4. A key socket comprising an insulating; block having a recess with inclines at its base in a shoulder, for the pura plate in the circuit covering each terminating pose set forth, one of said inclines, a shaft, a contact plate through which the shaft passes and which is provided with contact springs engaging opposite inclines and withsto s, an opera't ing plate carried by .the' sha t and having lugs en aging the stops when the shaft is turned orward and passing backward over.

the, contact plate,

means for retaining said plates in engagement and the contact springs in engagement with the inclines, and means for-- advancing the contact plate only when the shaft is in one of two diametrically opposite positions relatively to said plate.

In testimony whereof 'I' afiix my signa u e, I.

in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY HUBBE-LLQ Witnesses A. M. WOOSTEB, S. W. ATHERTQN. 

